A temperature-controlled display device (e.g., a refrigerator, freezer, refrigerated merchandiser, refrigerated display case, etc.) may be used in commercial, institutional, and residential applications for storing or displaying refrigerated or frozen objects. For example, it is known to provide service type refrigerated display cases for displaying fresh food products (e.g., beef, pork, poultry, fish, etc.) in a supermarket or other commercial setting.
Such refrigerated cases typically include a storage tank for housing various components of the refrigerated display case, including various components of the cooling system. For instance, evaporator coils, air flow devices, and other cooling components may be stored within the tank. The storage tank may include an inner wall and an outer wall that are coupled together to provide a frame the tank. The inner wall and the outer wall are typically made from galvanized steel or other sheet metal, which may be cost-prohibitive. The material of the inner and outer walls may also be difficult to customize (e.g., shape, size, etc.) for the particular requirements of the storage tank. For instance, the storage tank may require various attachments or features (e.g., brackets, stops, fasteners, slots, etc.) to be coupled to the inner and outer walls to accommodate the various components stored within the tank. The inner and outer walls typically must be modified to receive these attachments or features.
The storage tank may also include a separate base frame (i.e., legs, horses, mounts, etc.) that is coupled to the outer wall and is intended to provide a platform for resting the storage tank on a surface. This platform and any other attachments or features are required to be coupled to the storage tank via various brackets, fasteners, and other coupling devices, which can increase the cost of manufacturing the tank and require additional materials. In addition, the base frame and any other attachments may be comprised of multiple components which must be pre-assembled or coupled prior to attachment to the storage tank. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a storage tank having fewer individual components and requiring less assembly.
This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention recited in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the description and claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.